Highlands Borough School District

Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. District totals are aggregated directly from the schools reporting under this district in the source records. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.

Highlands, New Jersey - 1 schools

At $32,034 per pupil, Highlands Borough School District ranks #53 of 649 New Jersey districts by per-pupil spending (New Jersey districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

169
Total Enrollment
1
Schools
$32,034
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Highlands Borough School District operates 1 public schools serving 169 students, placing it among the smallest districts in New Jersey. The school portfolio breaks down into 1 combined schools, a small enough portfolio that most families will interact with nearly every campus in the district at some point. These enrollment and school figures come from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 release, and the district is based in Monmouth County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $32,034 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, among the top 65 of 649 New Jersey districts by per-pupil spending. See how New Jersey compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 65.9% local, 28.5% state, and 5.7% federal, a local-revenue-heavy mix that leaves the district more exposed to property-tax swings and local ballot measures than state-funded peers.

a 85:1 student-counselor ratio, that meets the ASCA-recommended benchmark, and 16.5% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Use the school table below to drill into any individual campus for its own demographic and resource profile.

Its largest campus is Highlands Elementary School, enrolling 170 students (100% of the district's total enrollment).

Highlands Elementary School accounts for 100.0% of all Highlands Borough School District student enrollment

That is an overwhelming concentration, leaving the rest of Highlands Borough School District a distant remainder — means Highlands Borough School District-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: combined. A single dominant campus often anchors a district's program offerings and staffing patterns; the share helps explain why district-wide averages may not reflect the typical neighbourhood-school experience. When one entity dominates a region's footprint, its programmatic and budget decisions effectively set policy for a majority of the affected population.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data NCES Common Core of Data

Highlands Borough School District student-counselor ratio is 85:1 — well below typical (typically associated with unusually small scale or exceptionally high per-unit investment)

student-counselor ratio is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: the ratio counts FTE counselors against total enrollment, districts that contract intervention or social-emotional staff outside the counselor classification may be under-counted Values this far below typical often correlate with unusually small scale or population characteristics rather than higher resource budgets per se — worth checking whether the underlying denominator is itself an outlier.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection NCES Civil Rights Data Collection

Highlands Borough School District chronic absenteeism rate is 16.5% — near the typical range (US average ~28) — aligned with the national post-pandemic baseline of roughly 28% chronic absenteeism

chronic absenteeism rate is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: a student is chronically absent if they miss ≥10% of enrolled days for any reason, illness, family obligations, or disengagement Variation between sub-units within Highlands Borough School District is typically wider than the Highlands Borough School District-aggregate figure suggests.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22 NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22

Where does the funding come from?

5.7%
Federal
28.5%
State
65.9%
Local

Programs & Resources

85:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
16.5%
Chronically Absent

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) 2021-22.

Schools in Highlands Borough School District

School Enrollment
Highlands Elementary School
170

How Highlands Borough School District Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The New Jersey districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Newark Educators Community Charter School Similar size Lower spending Similar funding mix
Alpine School District Similar size Higher spending More locally funded
Wenonah Boro School District Similar size Lower spending Similar funding mix
Mannington Township School District Similar size Higher spending Similar funding mix
Classical Academy Charter School of Clifton Similar size Lower spending More locally funded

Comparisons are relative to Highlands Borough School District's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data and the F-33 Finance Survey.

Nearby Districts in New Jersey

Top districts in the same state, compare side-by-side for enrollment, spending, and demographics.

Compare Highlands Borough School District

See how this district compares to others in enrollment, spending, demographics, and academic resources.

Compare vs Newark Public School District →

Frequently Asked Questions

How many schools are in Highlands Borough School District?

Highlands Borough School District has 1 school, including 1 combined. Total enrollment is 169 students.

How much does Highlands Borough School District spend per student?

Highlands Borough School District spends $32,034 per student.